


Some Tricks, Some Treats

by Huntress79



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen, Neal Caffrey is back, Post-Finale, Post-Season/Series 06
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-02 16:04:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21164354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntress79/pseuds/Huntress79
Summary: While watching their children devouring their sweet “loot”, Peter and Neal finally realize how close they came to lose moments like this.





	Some Tricks, Some Treats

**Author's Note:**

  * For [citrinesunset](https://archiveofourown.org/users/citrinesunset/gifts).

> Written for the Trick Or Treat Exchange and citrinesunset. Set about three years after the series finale. Peter & Neal friendship, Elizabeth & Sara friendship. Background pairings: Neal/Sara, Peter/Elizabeth.

*********************

“No, Mikey, that’s mine!”

The clear voice of Emily Anne Caffrey was the first thing Peter heard when he stepped out onto his back porch, two steaming cups of coffee in his hands. The door closed behind him, leaving Sara and Elizabeth to their final preparations of the upcoming Halloween dinner for all of them.

Setting the cups down, he looked around, and it didn’t take long to locate everyone near the old oak tree in one corner. Despite the low temperatures outside, none of the children was complaining about it, which in turn told Peter how much fun they already had this afternoon, when Neal, Mozzie, Clinton and he took them for a round of trick-and-treating around the neighbourhood. Sure, they were bound to have some hyperactive children at their hands pretty soon, but somehow, Peter was confident that they would be able to corral them in somehow.

Closing his jacket, he grabbed the cups and made his trek over to the swing mounted to the sturdiest branch of the tree. The kids didn’t notice him at all, but the adult did. And God, was Peter happy to have this man back in his life.

“You’re a life saver, Agent Burke,” Neal quipped while trying to move his daughter onto his lap without spilling any of her candy to the ground.

“Took you long enough to realize that, Caffrey,” Peter gave back, good-natured. After all that heartbreak that the past few years had in store for everyone, they were finally back in a place where they could joke like that.

“Yeah, heard that already a time or two,” Neal countered while grabbing one of the cups, holding it high enough that he wouldn’t endanger Emily at all. Peter did the same while sitting down next to Michael, his son (who was initially named Neal Michael, but ever since the namesake was back in their lives, they all reverted back to the boy’s second name).

For some moments, the two men just sat there, Emily, Michael and Theo Berrigan sitting between them, trying to best each other with who could eat the most candy in short time.

“That’s gonna be one H-E-L-L of a night,” Neal finally said with a nod to the kids and the growing pilres of candy wrappers around them. “Sara and I usually keep a tight lid on too much candy for her. Wonder how she’s gonna do with all that tonight.”

“Yeah, El and I do the same, but I guess it’s worth it, considering all the fun these three rascals had today.” Peter leaned across, as if he was sharing a big secret with Neal. “While they had their bathroom break earlier, El and Sara managed to confiscate about half of their candy. Sure, there’s still enough there to send them all in sugary coma, but we deserve a bit of it as well.”

“You know, Peter, I know you for more than a decade now, and yet, you never cease to surprise me. Gotta say, I like that, really.”

Again, silence settled over the group, only the typical sound of candy wrappers being opened and candy eaten could be heard. Suddenly, Neal heaved a sigh, causing Peter to look up.

“You okay, Neal?”

“Yeah, just… just realized something.”

“Do you want Sara?”

“What? No, she should stay where it’s warm. And besides, it’s something about the two of us that I realized.”

“And what’s that?” Peter inquired, a hunch already forming at the back of his mind. Ever since they found Neal living the life in London, with Sara at his side, and subsequently bringing the little family of three back to the States, Peter knew that Neal was beating himself up on a regular basis for faking his death in the first place. And no matter how many times everyone told him that he was forgiven, this particular thing kept rearing its ugly head.

“I should have trusted you back then – you know when – that you would do everything in your power to get me out of my sentence after that last job, but somehow, with Matt showing up again and everything else, my focus was blurred, for the lack of a better word.”

“Wow, Neal Caffrey is at a loss for words,” a female voice cut in, jolting both men back to the reality of a chilly October afternoon. Diana was standing right in front of them, her coat barely concealing the small baby bump beneath.

“Happens from time to time, Diana,” Neal gave back, and somehow, he and Peter managed to get the kids to make some room for Theo’s mom. She sat down with a heavy sigh, and before anyone could even think of a protest, snagged the coffee cup from Neal’s fingers and took a sip.

“What? I haven’t had a drop of that for weeks, and my doctor said it’s perfectly fine to have one once in a while.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Peter said while holding one hand up in surrender, Neal mirroring his action on her other side.

“Yeah, but you both were thinking it,” Diana quipped back. “So, Neal, why were you at a loss for words?” she inquired, every inch the professional FBI agent, even if she was bundled up as if she was about to set out for Alaska.

“I told Peter that I should have trusted him, and you and Clinton, back then…”

“Yes, you should have, but haven’t we all established that it’s all in the past and we made a new start when you moved back here?” Diana asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, I guess we did,” Neal finally conceded, knowing all too well that he wouldn’t win that particular “fight” now that Diana was involved.

“Holy Hannah!” the woman in question exclaimed only a heartbeat later.

“You okay, Diana?” Peter inquired, exchanging a worried look with Neal.

“Yeah, but tell me, guys, has my son eaten all that candy?” For emphasis, she pointed to the pile of candy wrappers next to Theo’s legs, which was, compared to those near Emily and Michael, on the smaller side, though still a bit too much for such a small stomach.

“Guess so,” Neal admitted, “but you’ve seen him how happy he was when we came back from trick-or-treating. And I understand your concern as a parent, but I guess it’s worth a sleepless night, after all.”

And with that, the adults grabbed their respective kids, all the candy, and headed back into the house.

*********************

**The End and Happy Halloween!**

*********************


End file.
